1-1     By:  Haywood                                          S.B. No. 1385

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 19, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;

 1-4     April 4, 1997, reported favorably, as amended, by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 4, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                               By:  Duncan

 1-7     Amend S.B. No. 1385 in SECTION 1 of the bill, on page 1, line 32,

 1-8     by adding the following subsection:

 1-9           (c)  The attorney general shall obtain the approval of the

1-10     appropriate authority overseeing a proceeding under Subsection

1-11     (a)(2) before using videoconferencing technology under this

1-12     section.

1-13                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

1-14                                   AN ACT

1-15     relating to the use of videoconferencing technology by the office

1-16     of the attorney general.

1-17           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-18           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government Code, is

1-19     amended by adding Section 402.0213 to read as follows:

1-20           Sec. 402.0213.  APPEARANCE THROUGH VIDEOCONFERENCING

1-21     TECHNOLOGY.  (a)  The office of the attorney general may use

1-22     videoconferencing technology:

1-23                 (1)  as a substitute for personal appearances in civil

1-24     and criminal proceedings, as approved by the court; and

1-25                 (2)  for any proceeding, conference, or training

1-26     conducted by an employee of the office of the attorney general

1-27     whose duties include the implementation of Chapter 56, Code of

1-28     Criminal Procedure, and Chapter 57, Family Code.

1-29           (b)  In this section, "videoconferencing technology" means

1-30     technology that provides for a conference of individuals in

1-31     different locations, connected by electronic means, through audio,

1-32     video, or both.

1-33           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-34           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-35     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-36     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-37     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-38     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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